Five key features of Apple's new streaming music service

Apple, on June 8, announced a major new foray into streaming music as it showed off a host of new software features for its iPhones, iPads and Mac computers in the Worldwide Developers Conference. Let's check out the five key features of the new music streaming service :

• Apple's music service will enable artists to share songs directly with fans, include a global 24/7 radio station named Beats 1 and stream music from the entire iTunes catalogue.
• The Music app will also give artists a forum called "Connect" to allow them to interact with fans by releasing demos, playlists, soundbites, videos and songs.
• The new Apple Music app will cost $9.99 a month for one person. The company is also offering what it calls a "family plan" for $14.99 a month for up to six family members.
• Eddy Cue, Apple's senior vice president of Internet software and services, adds that the first three months will be free.
• Apple Music will launch be launched in more than 100 countries at the end of the month with a software update. Eddy Cue added the service will also come to the Android devices also.

With inputs from agencies